[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 44 (Monday, March 16, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1522-S1524]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    TRIBUTE TO DR. MICHAEL COLEGROVE

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I rise to recognize a great Kentuckian 
who has recently received a great honor. Dr. Michael Colegrove, who has 
been employed with the University of the Cumberlands in various 
capacities over the last 40 years and is currently the vice president 
for student services and the director of leadership studies, recently 
received the Tri-County 2015 Leader of the Year award from the 
Leadership Tri-County organization in Kentucky.
  Leadership Tri-County focuses on civic, business, and community 
leadership in Laurel, Knox, and Whitley Counties in southeastern 
Kentucky. A nonprofit organization founded in 1987, it identifies 
potential, emerging, and current leaders from the three counties and 
nurtures their continued development.
  Dr. Colegrove graduated from Cumberland College, currently known as 
the University of the Cumberlands, in 1971. In addition to working for 
the school for 40 years, he spent 30 years in the U.S. Army Reserve and 
retired with the rank of colonel in 2003. Dr. Colegrove earned a master 
of arts from Eastern Kentucky University and a doctor of philosophy 
from Vanderbilt University. He is also a graduate of the U.S. War 
College.

[[Page S1524]]

  Dr. Colegrove is the author of six books. His first book, ``Climbing 
the Pyramid: The How To's of Leadership,'' was published in 2004. It 
came about because of the need for a textbook for a leadership seminar 
conducted by the University of the Cumberlands. He has also volunteered 
with the American Red Cross and the Kiwanis Club.
  Dr. Colegrove and his wife Donna live in Williamsburg, KY, and have a 
daughter Kimberly who resides in Indiana with her husband Matthew and 
their two sons Jackson and William. I am sure Dr. Colegrove's family 
members are very proud of him and all that he has accomplished. I know 
my colleagues join me in congratulating Dr. Michael Colegrove on his 
receipt of the Tri-County 2015 Leader of the Year award.
  An area newspaper, the Times Tribune, published an article about Dr. 
Colegrove receiving his award. I ask unanimous consent that a portion 
of said article be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                [From the Sentinel Echo, Feb. 25, 2015]

                   U of C's Colegrove honored at LTC

                           (By Nita Johnson)

       The influence he has made on his colleagues was evident--
     first with the University of the Cumberlands' marching band's 
     Honor Guard presenting the flags, and then by the two tables 
     of students and co-workers seated at the Corbin Technology 
     Center on Monday evening.
       His dedication is the quality that earned University of the 
     Cumberlands' Dr. Michael Colegrove the 2015 Leader of the 
     Year award from the Leadership Tri-County organization during 
     their yearly awards banquet.
       Colegrove can be described with many words: author, Sunday 
     School teacher, deacon, military veteran, and long-time 
     employee at the Williamsburg college that focuses on helping 
     students achieve success through faith and discipline.
       Hon. Eugene Siler Jr., a Williamsburg native who serves as 
     the Sixth Judicial Circuit Judge for the U.S. Court of 
     Appeals, introduced Colegrove and described him as ``as 
     organized as anybody you'll ever see.''
       As a personal friend and member of the Sunday School class 
     that Colegrove teaches, Siler said Colegrove had achieved 
     success through his faith and dedication to family, his job, 
     and his role as a Christian.
       ``He's a great person,'' Siler said.
       Colegrove's record speaks for itself. He earned a 
     bachelor's degree from then-Cumberland College, his master of 
     arts degree from Eastern Kentucky University and his doctor 
     of philosophy from Vanderbilt University. He also graduated 
     from the United States Army War College and served in the 
     Army Reserves for 30 years, retiring with the rank of 
     colonel.
       He has been involved with a number of civic organizations 
     ranging from the American Red Cross to serving as lieutenant 
     governor for the Kiwanis Club for the Kentucky-Tennessee 
     Region 6.
       But Colegrove's humility has remained intact throughout his 
     many achievements.
       ``I am a man most blessed,'' he told the crowd. ``I had the 
     opportunity at the University of the Cumberlands to teach 
     faith with discipline with my colleagues and co-workers. I 
     had the opportunity to serve the students, and I have two 
     mentors.''
       His mentors were the past two presidents of the 
     Williamsburg institution--Drs. Jim Taylor and Jim Boswell. 
     Both men saw extensive growth of the college over their 
     tenure as president, which Colegrove credited to their vision 
     for the future.
       His involvement with Leadership Tri-County, he said, has 
     also taught him lessons--one being a book about leadership 
     and the other being one of life's simplest but sometimes most 
     difficult qualities--the art of listening.
       The book, Colegrove said, had five major areas to consider.
       ``Challenge the process,'' he said, ``then inspire and 
     share the vision. You have to have a vision. Enable others to 
     act, and model the way you want.''
       The last aspect of that, he added, was to ``encourage the 
     heart.''
       Listening, he said, came not from his years of experience 
     in the military or the collegiate arena, but more so from his 
     own family.
       ``I don't know if Kimberly (Colegrove's only child) 
     remembers this or not, but she was talking to me and I guess 
     I drifted off in my own thoughts,'' he said. ``She squared me 
     up--which in the Army is when you take someone's face in your 
     hands. She turned my head so I was looking her straight in 
     the eyes and she kept on talking. She showed me that I needed 
     to listen to her.''
       Oddly enough, Colegrove's second lesson came from 
     Kimberly's son, William.
       ``William Joyce made this in a Sunday School class,'' 
     Colegrove explained while he took out a handmade set of ears. 
     ``It's a paper plate cut in two with a piece of pipe cleaner 
     connecting it. The paper plate has two ears drawn on it and I 
     guess the pipe cleaner is to do this.''
       Putting the piece across his head, Colegrove demonstrated 
     how the ``listening ears'' worked. Amid the laughter of the 
     crowd, he reminded everyone that ``listening is an empowering 
     ability.''

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